Protesters will be allowed to march along Detroit Riverwalk, but could face restrictions

The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday asked the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy to allow protests along the Riverwalk, a walkway along the Detroit River being lengthened, improved and maintained by the conservancy in a public-private partnership.
(Khalil AlHajal | MLive)

DETROIT, MI -- An anti-war group will be allowed to protest on Detroit's Riverwalk on Saturday, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy said Thursday.

The American Civil Liberties Union issued a letter earlier this week calling on the conservancy to allow demonstrations on the walkway after activists complained they were being prevented from protesting on public property.

The group Women in Black claimed silent anti-war demonstrators carrying signs and a large puppet were ordered off the Riverwalk last summer by security.

"The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy welcomes the Women in Black for its march this weekend along the Detroit RiverWalk," conservancy officials said in a statement.

But portions of the Riverwalk are actually privately owned, the conservancy pointed out in the statement, asserting that some restrictions are reasonable.

"The Conservancy has established reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on organized activities to facilitate such activities while also protecting and promoting use of the RiverWalk by the public and respecting the interests of the owners of privately-owned portions of the RiverWalk consistent with the rights granted to the Conservancy by those private owners," the conservancy said.

The Riverwalk is a popular walkway along the Detroit River being lengthened, improved and maintained by the conservancy in a public-private partnership.

The conservancy said in its statement that dozens of charitable functions and special events are held along the Detroit River under certain restrictions, and that demonstrations will have to follow the same procedures.

"The Conservancy’s time, place and manner restrictions and the related procedures apply equally to political advocacy, consistent with First Amendment jurisprudence," the group said.

The ACLU in its letter had argued that "the protection of political speech is at its zenith when it takes place in public parks and on public sidewalks."

Women in Black demonstrators plan to march along the Riverwalk on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.